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I have already contacted the administrator about it, but he said that the votes on my posts and comments seem legitimate as far as he checked.

But I still highly doubt so.

Here is a pattern that I notice:

  • On every single post and comment I made, without exception, there is at least one downvote.
  • Also, these downvotes keep appearing all at once (i.e. when the mass-downvoter sends his next wave of downvotes)
  • My score recently dropped from +12 to -19 within one hour without any new posts. The only way this this could have happened is that someone speervoted me.

I highly suspect that it's the same account downvoting everything I post and comment, because the happenings speak in favour of that theory.

These targeted downvotes can impossibly be legitimate.


I am writing this because many more people might be affected. It is a loophole and might discourage many more users.

I suggest implementing automated algorithms that prevent speervoting, which is an abuse of the voting systems.

Also, I kindly ask any administrator to confirm that the mass-downvotes on my submissions and comments are not coming from the same user.

I have already contacted the administrator about it, but he said that the votes on my posts and comments seem legitimate as far as he checked. But I still highly doubt so. Here is a pattern that I notice: * On **every single** post **and** comment I made, without exception, there is **at least one downvote.** * Also, these downvotes keep appearing **all at once** (i.e. when the mass-downvoter sends his next wave of downvotes) * My score recently dropped from +12 to -19 within one hour without any new posts. The only way this this could have happened is that someone speervoted me. I highly suspect that it's the same account downvoting everything I post and comment, because the happenings speak in favour of that theory. These targeted downvotes can impossibly be legitimate. ---- I am writing this because many more people might be affected. It is a loophole and might discourage many more users. I suggest implementing automated algorithms that prevent speervoting, which is an abuse of the voting systems. Also, I kindly ask any administrator to confirm that the mass-downvotes on my submissions and comments are **not** coming from the same user.

24 comments

[–] pembo210 10 points (+10|-0) Edited

But I still highly doubt so.

The top admin/dev gave you an answer and you didn't like it.

Why does it matter if it comes from just one user?

For the guy running a modabuse sub that's all about censorship abuse, it seems weird that you want us to silence them.

we can already see user/user voting, user/posts, and timestamps.

I suggest implementing automated algorithms that prevent...

What kind of detection specifically? Because like if you make a few posts in a row and I come in behind you and upvote all, I would get flagged under boosting. There's going to be a lot of false flags just by the way that people consume media so intensely now. Sometimes I vote 40 times in a 5 minute poop session on my phone which is a different ip from my desktop/home where I use the site more casually over a longer period of time. There would also have to be a way to void, some dashboard with all the flags and reasons why(multivoting, 3 to the same guy, up/down/up/down/up/down, boosting the same user while never voting anything else, too many votes in a short time period, too many votes in one sub or 3 whatever that threshold is...).

What would you do once you identify bad actors? nullify their votes, bans, badges on their profile to shame them, add a disabled timer for posting/comments/voting, ghost voting, shadowbanning, xp loss, ...? What does fix mean?

edit2: this is a broad request and after doing a quick look around, this will probably take several hundred lines of code plus changes from all the user interactivity places (buttons and forms) that will need bad actor detection/limitations if we can hammer out all the details. There's a couple months of stuff already in the todo lists, but maybe we can do some as we go.

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1) Edited

The top admin/dev gave you an answer and you didn't like it.

I had the impression that he did not look deep enough.

For the guy running a modabuse sub that's all about censorship abuse

…which is legitimate. Internet users deserve to know in advance what to expect in which community.

it seems weird that you want us to silence them.

Not necessarily. I just wanted to use the site normally. I am not advocating to suspend them. If I don't want to interact with someone, I simply block him. I don't mind what ever the other user is doing, as long as it does not interfere with me. But I have seen behavioural patterns that suggest that someone (presumably the user Mumbleberry, who has downvoted over 100 thousand comments and submissions in total on Voat) is only downvoting for the sake of downvoting, and chasing users he does not like across platforms.

Why does it matter if it comes from just one user?

If they do it to one user, they probably do it to many more users and could do it to many more in future.

Most of Mumbleberry's comments are insulting random users, which I could not care less about because I can just block him and done. But his misuse of the voting system is tampering with other user's normal usage of the site.

What kind of detection specifically?

I have rethought it and have realized that automating it would be rather hard and could lead to alot of false positives.

But I think that a system that sends a warning of suspicious behaviour to the administrators would be good.

What does fix mean?

Nullifying the votes and ghost voting seem effective.


Also, thank you for your comment.

[–] Polsaker 1 points (+1|-0)

I had the impression that he did not look deep enough.

Trust me I looked deep enough. While I can't tell you who it was or if it was one or many accounts I can assure you that the downvotes weren't made by suspicious accounts or through the abuse of the voting system.

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1)

Trust me I looked deep enough.

Thank you for your help.

Although I am still sure that one person is downvoting everything I post, if you say that's not the case, there is nothing I can do about it I guess.

I have noticed that even this harmless comment also got downvoted.

It's a comment that simply says:

I see. Thanks for the advice.

There is no way that a downvote on that comment can be legitimate or reasonable. I am sure that the same person (Mumbleberry from Voat, who downvoted over 86000 comments there) is downvoting everything I post. He will probably downvote this comment as soon as the next time he checks my Phuks account.

By manipulating the votes, he actively discourages people from using the platform.

It's not that I care about the vote counts, but that it is easily possible for anyone to game the voting system and selectively prevent people from having conversations and using the platform normally.

[–] PhunkyPlatypus 8 points (+8|-0)

I have noticed this as well. I can't help but think your topics or habits could be misconstrued as spam?

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1)

I have noticed this as well.

Noticed it happening to me only, or other users/yourself too?

I can't help but think your topics or habits could be misconstrued as spam?

I acknowledge that I maybe posted a bit too quickly.

I copied some submissions from Poal over to Phuks, because I thought it would be helpful to users who browse the subverses.

[–] E-werd 4 points (+4|-0)

I copied some submissions from Poal over to Phuks, because I thought it would be helpful to users who browse the subverses.

Be aware that some people will see this activity as sort of back-handed, almost as to say "this site isn't good enough for me to post the content here, so visit this other site that is." It's generally a bad practice if it can be avoided. The exception tends to be when there's some profound discussion happening on the platform itself, but in the context of what I remember you posting I don't recall that being the case.

[–] [Deleted] 7 points (+7|-0)

i'm not downvoting you but i also havent been upvoting you specifically because i think your posts are mostly low effort and you seem like your here more with an ulterior motive

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1)

i think your posts are mostly low effort

Many of my posts are link posts. They don't need much effort.

i also havent been upvoting you specifically

That's Ok, but I upvote something if I like the posted content, no matter who posted it.

your here more with an ulterior motive

Which motive?

[–] [Deleted] 4 points (+4|-0) Edited

this post really makes it look like you have a much worse ulterior motive than i had imagined. i figured they were low effort posts pulled from your youtube recommendations or reddit to cover for upcoming spam or something.

That's Ok, but I upvote something if I like the posted content, no matter who posted it.

heh, well arent you special. its not that i have it out for you, its that i'm not interested in the content you post.

** i should add that i think you read that specifically as being specified toward the you when it was actually an indicator to my strong feelings toward the next part of the sentence. easy mistake for a nonnative speaker.

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1)

its that i'm not interested in the content you post.

And that's perfectly fine. That's the block button's purpose, which automatically hides all of my posts from you.

this post really makes it look like you have a much worse ulterior motive than i had imagined.

cover for upcoming spam or something.

That sounds conspirational. But I would have no personally gains from spamming.

[–] Justintoxicated 3 points (+3|-0)

Looking at your history it looks like you posted a ton of links at once one day, it's very possible someone thought you were a spammer. We frequently get spammers that chain post a bunch at once (anyone named "meltoe" usually), we're kind a lower traffic site so this would stick out as unusual to many users. I would suggest pacing out your posts until people have seen your username around a bit.

[–] Handroid7 [OP] 0 points (+1|-1)

it's very possible someone thought you were a spammer.

I'm sorry if someone thought so, but the downvotes have been already raining before.

But were the links off-topic?

I thought it would be considered helpful.

I would suggest pacing out your posts until people have seen your username around a bit.

Ok.

[–] angeredwhackjob 3 points (+3|-0)

Do you require the assistance of /s/GreenBeanLegion ?

[–] Handroid7 [OP] -1 points (+0|-1)

In what way?

[–] angeredwhackjob 1 points (+1|-0)

Donate some of us (green beans) to your local food bank type charity and we'll hammer you with upvotes. Proof of donation required.